5482 players to participate in AFI’s grassroots talent hunt program
The National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM), the flagship grassroots talent hunt event of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), will be held here on Friday for the first time on a synthetic track. The event is returning after a gap of two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. 5482 players from 599 districts of the country will participate in this competition. In this, boys and girls will compete at under-14 and under-16 level. Its last event was held in Tirupati in November 2019.
For many players, this is the first time that they will be competing in a national level event. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the inauguration of the program at a colorful function at the Patliputra Sports Complex here on Thursday. The competitions will start from Friday. Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adil Sumariwalla said the rules have been amended this time to prevent early specialization of players at an early age and encourage coaches not to overtrain.
He said, “We want young players to enjoy the game and do not practice too much under the pressure of any expertise. We have limited sprint to 80 meters for the under-16 category and five strides for long jump. Our aim is to find new talent and nurture it.
